Billionaires and the Cult of Jealousy
I’ve realised something over the years. A fair chunk of billionaires don’t just want to be rich. They want to be untouchable. Question them and you’re either jealous or a communist. That’s the playbook. Take Jim Ratcliffe. Raise concerns about tax, integrity his divisive (let’s face it, racist) rhetoric and the comments fill up with frothing defenders who can barely write, telling us Jim is only saying what we’re all thinking. ...
Waiting for the Out – A Unique Drama Worth Watching!
I’ve just finished watching Waiting for the Out on BBC One and it’s one of those series that quietly sneaks up on you rather than making a big song and dance about itself. It’s a six-part drama set mainly inside a British prison. The main character is Dan Stewer, played by Josh Finan, who teaches philosophy to inmates. That might sound a bit right on and worthy, but it really isn’t. It turns out philosophy is a pretty good way of ...
Keir Starmer and the Art of Self-Sabotage
Keir Starmer is in trouble. Serious trouble. The kind of trouble you don’t stumble into by accident unless you’re actively moonlighting as your own worst enemy. His decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, twice sacked by Labour and permanently scented with scandal is every bit as absurd as it sounds. It’s the political equivalent of hiring a lifeguard who’s been fired twice for pushing people under the water. Let me be clear: I ...
Stockholm in January: Where the Cold Means Business
The first thing you notice when arriving in Stockholm in January is just how cold it is. Not “oh, I should’ve brought a thicker jumper” cold, but through-your-clothes, into-your-soul cold. The kind of cold that laughs at scarves. So if you’re visiting in winter, layer up. Then add another layer and you should be warm (ish). That said, the cold does give the city a certain clarity. The air feels clean, sharp, and very Scandinavian. ...
Aging, Ailments and Catastrophising!
I was feeling a bit rough before Christmas. A complex tooth extraction, ongoing tinnitus, and a general sense of fragility conspired to make me feel vulnerable, weak and for the first time, properly my age. Someone said to me that the real problem with getting ailments and taking longer to recover as we get older is that we’re not used to it, so we don’t know how to cope. Nailed it. For those of us from the “just get on with it” ...